Baybrook Mall (1978) 1,094,000 sq.ft. - 177 stores
19400 Gulf Freeway, Friendswood (I-45 South @ W. Bay Area Blvd.)
(281) 488-4627
Baybrook serves the Clear Lake/NASA, Friendswood and League City area. The major stores are Dillard's, Mervyn's, Montgomery Ward, Sears. With the withdrawl of Macy's from most of the Houston market, Dillard's decided to expand its presence at Baybrook by taking over the Macy's space and splitting the stores into separate men's and women's locations.

And you'll find it all in a one million square-foot single-story neighborhood mall designed with your comfort in mind. Enjoy miles of cushioned carpeted walkways. Family restrooms. Plants, trees, vaulted ceilings and skylights throughout. Plus a fabulous food court.

The Galleria I, II, III & IV(1970, '74, '86, 2003) 2,400,000+ sq.ft. - 375 stores
5015 Westheimer Road, Houston
(713) 622-0663
The variety of retail establishments housed in The Galleria is second to none. In addition to anchor stores like Macy's, Neiman
Marcus, Nordstrom's and Saks Fifth Avenue, The Galleria is home to a number of one-of-a-kind shops. Additionally, it houses many famous-name shops that can't be found anywhere else in Houston. The structure was inspired by Milan's Galleria of the 1860s, an exclusive group of cafes and boutiques inside a glass-covered atrium. Included are exclusive stores like Fred Joaillier and Dolce & Gabbana. The Galleria is high-end shopping at its finest. In addition, The Galleria is home to 43 outstanding restaurants, including The Cheesecake Factory and Planet Hollywood, which have become favorite tourist destinations. Galleria visitors can also take advantage of two hotels, the Westin Galleria and the Westin Oaks, located on the property, as well as enjoy ice skating on the popular indoor Olympic-size rink. Since the Galleria has a constant stream of international customers, it offers Texas Tax Back, a sales tax refund service which assists foreign tourists in recovering their sales taxes on retail purchases for export. Valet parking is also offered.

More than 16.5 million shoppers converge on Houston's Galleria each year. The original Galleria, with its own enormous glass ceiling, opened in November 1970 and has expanded twice to add the Galleria II in 1974 and Galleria III in 1986. Further exspansion is planned with the addition of a Norstrom store and the construction of Galleria IV.

Further enhancing The Galleria's image is the fact that it is conveniently located in the Uptown Houston District, a four-mile area where visitors can
find first-class hotels, lush green spaces, international haute couture, gourmet restaurants and art. Across the street from The Galleria, Centre at Post Oak features CompUSA, FAO Schwarz, Barnes & Noble and Old Navy.

Greenspoint Mall(1976/1989/1996) 1,538,972 sq.ft. - 161 stores
208 Greenspoint Mall, Houston (I-45N @ Greens Rd., 13 miles North of Downtown Houston)
(281) 875-4201
The downtown of Houston’s north side, Greenspoint contains 13 million square feet of commercial development. This equals or exceeds the central business districts of St. Louis, Baltimore or San Diego. 18 companies have their U.S. or world headquarters in Greater Greenspoint. Plans for a recently granted Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) include physical improvements to the Airline Drive corridor between West Road and Aldine Bender. Lush landscaping, buried utilities and new light standards are among the proposed improvements. Major Anchor Stores: Dillard's, Foley's, JC Penney, Mervyn's, Montgomery Ward, Sears

Gulfgate Mall (1956) 800,000 sq.ft. - 80 stores
500 Gulfgate Mall, Houston (Gulf Freeway/I-45 South @ Woodridge)
(713) 643-5777
Gulfgate Mall opened in 1956 as the area's first regional open air mall. In 1962, the mall became an enclosed shopping center. After years of decline, the mall was shut down in 2000.

In 2001 the original mall was demolished and was redeveloped into a strip mall configuration, anchored by H-E-B, Best Buy, Office Depot, Marshalls, and The Home Depot.

Highland Village 265,000 sq.ft.
4001 Westheimer Road, Houston
(713) 850-3100
A few blocks east of The Galleria on Westheimer, features an ever-expanding selection of fine upscale shops. Cole Haan, Williams-Sonoma, Harold Powell, Pottery Barn and Tootsies flagship store make this stop a must-see.

Memorial City Mall(1966) 1,330,834 sq.ft. - 150 stores
900 Memorial City, Houston (Southeast corner of Gessner and the Katy Freeway/I-10 West)
(713) 932-0076 general info / (713) 464-8640 mgmt. office
Memorial City is quickly becoming West Houston's premier shopping mall. Currently anchored by Foley's, Mervyn's, Montgomery Wards and Sears, the next two years will see the return of Lord & Taylor and the additions of Nordstroms and Neiman Marcus. Other retailers include Palais Royal, Mars Music and Victoria's Secret. Note: Memorial City boasts the most upscale Foley's of the retailer's 14 Houston locations due to the mall's prime Memorial setting.

Meyerland Plaza (1957/1996) 910,000 sq.ft.
4700 Beechnut Street, Houston (West Loop 610 @ Beechnut)
(713) 664-1166
After a complete redesign and renovation starting in 1994, Meyerland Plaza has regained its position as a premier shopping destination. Although the shopping center once lost out to the enclosed malls of the late 1970s and 1980s, its new design is more appropriate than malls for the time-pressed shoppers. Consumers are offered direct access to retailers instead of spending precious time hunting for stores that are tucked away inside large malls. Meyerland Plaza houses a mix of power retailers -- Bed, Bath & Beyond, Border's Books, Marshall's, Office Max, Service Merchandise, Steinmart -- along with longtime anchors such as Palais Royal and JC Penney, restaurants and smaller tenants. These include Bridesmart, Hallmark and Lane Bryant. Other attractions are a Saltgrass Steak House and an 8-screen movie theatre.

Old Town Spring
405 Main Street, Spring
(281) 353-9310
Travel back in time and visit a village with all the charm and atmosphere of a small Texas town in the early 1900's. This historic village is open year round for your shopping convenience, with over 150 shops, restaurants and galleries.

Rice Village
(Eastside of Kirby, between Sunset Blvd. and University Blvd.)
An eclectic retail neighborhood, Rice Village offers more than 325 stores, ranging from well-known names to fashionable designer boutiques, art and craft galleries, European-style spas and old-fashioned mom-and-pop shops. Adding to the selection, the impressive Village Arcade features national retailers like Eddie Bauer and Banana Republic.

River Oaks Shopping Center
(West Gray, East of Sheppard)
In the shadow of Houston's fashionable River Oaks neighborhood, River Oaks Shopping Center presents a string of art-deco inspired stores along West Gray. More than 65 upscale shops and galleries call this locale - Houston's oldest shopping district - home.

Sharpstown Center (1961/1980/1993) 1,430,000 sq.ft.
201 Sharpstown Center, Houston (Southwest Freeway/US 59 and Bellaire Blvd.)
(713) 777-5391
Sharpstown started it all! Houston's first mall was also the country's first air-conditioned, indoor shopping center. Located at Bellaire Boulevard and U.S. 59, Sharpstown Center is in an area that’s seen dramatic demographic shifts since the property was built in 1961.

Occupancy has fallen over the years as newer shopping centers opened and the economy worsened. Sharpstown has lost all but one of its major anchors. Excluding the anchor space, it’s less than 40 percent occupied.

Macy’s departed last year, around which time the property was put into bankruptcy. The owner of Sharpstown Center recently unveiled a proposal to revive the languishing shopping mall by adding a family entertainment area, a movie theater showing international films, a grocery store and a marketplace for local vendors to sell their wares.

Town & Country Village (1968/1996) 375,000 sq.ft.
650 West Bound, Houston (East side of Sam Houston Tollway/Beltway 8, between Memorial Drive and the Katy Freeway/I-10 West)
(713) 464-7353

Upper Kirby District
Midway between Rice Village and River Oaks, specialty shops, art galleries, antique stores and designer showrooms paint an appealing picture known as the Upper Kirby District. The popular Gallery Row is located here, showcasing some of Texas&#146; finest artists. At the Antique
Pavilion, everything from fine antique furniture to vintage estate jewelry can be found. Close by, River Oaks Antiques Center and Brownstone Gallery shine with thousands of exquisite items.

Willowbrook Mall(1981) 1,469,240 sq.ft. - 167 stores
7925 Fm 1960 Road W., Houston (Southeast corner of Hwy 249 & FM 1960 West)
(281) 890-6255
Northwest Houston's major shopping destination, serving the Aldine, Champions, Compaq, Cy-Fair and Klein areas as well as Tomball. Major anchor stores include Dillard's, Foley's, JC Penney, Macy's, Montgomery Ward and Sears. In addition to the mall, the Willowbrook area is home to several large shopping centers with a full selection of major retailers.

The Woodlands Mall (1994) 1,173,000 sq.ft. - 160 stores
1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, Spring (off the North Freeway/I-45N)
(281) 363-3409 / (281)363-3363
Originally anchored by Dillard's, Foley's, Mervyn's and Sears, the mall added JCPenney to this strong line-up in 1998. The Woodlands is enjoying continued traffic and sales growth. In addition, the mall features an 11-unit food court with a carousel and a solid, specialty retail mix that includes Talbot's, Gap, Gap Kids, Abercrombie & Fitch, Eddie Bauer, Ann Taylor and Warner Bros. A 17-screen theater on the mall's ring road rounds out the retail/entertainment mix.

Dillard's- 12 Houston area locations
Arkansas-based Dillard's, Inc. comprises 300 plus traditional stores and five clearance centers in 29 states, offering a distinctive mix of name-brand and private-label merchandise. With everyday value pricing and special emphasis on fashion apparel and home furnishings, Dillard's appeals to middle and upper-middle income consumers. Many of the Houston locations were former Joske's stores, bought out by Dillard's in the 1980's.

Palais Royal
A chain of smaller department stores that can be found in several Houston malls and shopping centers, Palais Royal is part of the Houston-based Stage Stores, Inc. The chain offers nationally-known, brand-name family apparel, accessories, footwear and cosmetics. Owned by Beall's